A case of dyslexia : a peculiar form of word-blindness / by James Hinshelwood.

  • Hinshelwood, James, 1859-1919.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A case of dyslexia : a peculiar form of word-blindness / by James Hinshelwood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    12/16 (page 12)
    Professor Berlin where dyslexia sometimes appears—viz., in chronic alcoholics. In these cases he found that the disturb- ance gradually passed away when the alcohol was withheld. My case belongs to this category. The patient’s habits, the continuous improvement when alcohol was withheld, and the non-appearance of any further symptoms of cerebral diseases all combine to confirm the opinion that the’ dyslexia was of toxic origin due to disturbed nutrition of the cerebral centres or connecting fibres from excessive indulgence in alcohol. We are all familiar with many of the common forms of nervous disorder due to alcoholism, such as paresis and paralysis of the limbs, paresis and paralysis of the ocular muscles, and a peculiar form of amblyopia characterised by a central defect in the field of vision, very similar to the amblyopia produced by tobacco. That it also profoundly affects the cerebral visual centres we know from the frequency with which excessive indulgence in alcohol gives rise to a temporary mental affection in which visual hallucinations and illusions are a prominent feature. The opinion that the difficulty in reading was dependent upon a disorder of the visual memory centre or of its connecting fibres was strongly confirmed by consideration of the other peculiar symptoms present in the case. The complete breakdown in the patient’s capacity to- follow his occupation of a tailor presents a striking analogy to the failure in his power of reading. He had been known for many years to his master and fellow-workmen as a good tradesmen and a quick worker. Yet for a considerable time before his dismissal he did his work not only in an incompetent manner, but like a man who was in a tailor’s workshop for the first time in his life; he seemed to have completely forgotten the relative shapes and positions of the different parts which make up a garment, so that he made the most absurd mistakes, often sewing pieces of different garments together. He was only able to continue at work for a little while through the kindness of his fellow workmen, who had to direct him in every successive step what to do next. His sewing, too, was like that of a person who had never learned to sew, and was often so very bad that it had to be ripped up and finished by another workman. Finally, his employer dismissed him, as he was practically useless in the workroom. This transition of a skilled workman to a condition of helplessness can only be intelligibly explained in my opinion by failure of visual memory. A moment’s consideration will show what an